It’s one of the most common problems in the world today, with one in 4 adults saying they feel lonely some or most of the time. The big survey by research firm Gallup in more than 140 countries found people aged +65yo actually didn’t feel that alone (17%), but young people in their 20s fared much worse, with 27% feeling very or fairly lonely. It’s an insight that explains why America’s top health official is getting around the nation’s colleges to encourage youngsters to prioritise their mates. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy has declared loneliness an epidemic in the US – he says that feelings of isolation can be as bad for us as smoking 15 cigarettes a day, along with increasing the risk of dementia and heart attacks. There is a silver lining from a recent Oz report finding that pets brought big mental health benefits to people locked down during COVID.